Forrest ‘confident’ of reaching indigenous jobs target

Mining magnate Andrew Forrest says he is feeling "quite confident" about reaching his target of 50,000 job offers for indigenous Australians by the end of next week.

The head of Fortescue Metals Group launched the Australian Employment Covenant (AEC) three years ago with the goal of creating 50,000 indigenous jobs by July 1.

The plan aimed to end the cycle of poverty and unemployment among indigenous Australians by calling on corporate Australia to pledge jobs for Aboriginal people.

Mr Forrest was in Canberra on Wednesday to speak with Qantas CEO Alan Joyce about getting the airline's support for the initiative "over the line".

"If we can get one or two other big players over the line who have been looking at this for a couple of years... then I think we'll be in very, very good shape to hit that 50,000," he told reporters said outside the National Press Club on Wednesday, where Mr Joyce was due to give an address.

Mr Forrest could not say last week if the target of 50,000 jobs would be met.

The program came under scrutiny in February when Indigenous Employment Minister Mark Arbib told a Senate hearing that by the end of last year, only 1406 jobs had been filled at a cost of more than $5 million.